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Tisdale, Sask. is no longer “The Land of Rape and Honey.”
A recent move to replace the controversial, decades-old slogan for the town has changed the wording to “Opportunity Grows Here.”
“We noticed with the previous brand that it was confusing, it was misunderstood and it was outdated,” said Sean Wallace, the director of economic development in Tisdale.
Wallace had the task of developing the new brand. Last year, his team surveyed the community and held focus groups to gauge perceptions of the old slogan.
The team asked residents and businesses in Tisdale what the new logo should say about the town. From the outset, discussions around the slogan focused on how it was perceived outside Saskatchewan.
Wallace said the new wording will help to encourage foreign investment in Tisdale, be it from different provinces or from around the world.
“Tisdale has one of the highest concentrations of grain operations in Saskatchewan,” Wallace said. “We produce a great deal of wheat, canola, oats and those kinds of things.”
In the last year, Wallace’s office has hosted delegations from around the world, including China and India, who came specifically to Tisdale to learn more about the community’s grain industries.
He hopes in the future, the new brand will encourage more of this type of economic investment.
The final version of the new logo was chosen for its simplicity and message.
As an added local touch, the artist commissioned to produce the final version was Kristin McGrath, former resident of Tisdale, now living in Alberta.
